Rainforest Alliance
Bolling Coffee (and Grumpy Mule), was one of the very first coffee roasters in the UK to support the Rainforest Alliance and to promote Rainforest Alliance certified coffees for the food service industry. We’ve since seen the certification seal become more widespread and gain consumer recognition through its association with some large brands.
From its early inception, Rainforest Alliance certification allowed family farms and estates to demonstrate to consumers that they were committed to conservation, habitat preservation, sustainability and the welfare of the workers on their farms as well as coffee quality. Grumpy Mule has visited many such family farms, particularly in Latin America, and the investment that these farmers have put into their operation and their coffee has led to most of them producing some very fine, highly consistent products.
The idea of shade grown coffee is also central to Rainforest Alliance certification - with a few, justified exceptions where the natural landscape would not have been forested. Coffee trees grow naturally under the forest canopy, so you can grow coffee in harmony with the natural environment which limits soil erosion, creates habitats for wildlife (particularly migratory birds) and promotes better air quality.
In recent years, Rainforest Alliance certification has grown to include more and more cooperatives and smallholder farmers who are also eligible to participate in the Fairtrade certification system (and may also grow their coffee organically.) This is why you can see double and triple certified coffees.
There are a couple of counter-points to Rainforest Alliance certification at the moment. The first is that a coffee blend (or any other product) can be “Rainforest Alliance certified” and carry the Rainforest seal without being 100% certified – which rather undermines your credentials if part of the blend was sourced from a farm with dubious environmental practices. The second is that all farms (particularly medium and large farms) produce a range of coffee qualities, based upon where it was grown and the final processing and grading. So you don’t necessarily have to buy good or great coffee for it to be certified (Fairtrade coffees have faced this accusation for years.)
If you see the Rainforest Alliance certified seal on a bag of Grumpy Mule coffee, you can be assured that it is 100% Rainforest Alliance certified and of the highest quality.
See our range of Rainforest Alliance certified coffees
About the Rainforest Alliance and Rainforest Alliance-certified coffees
The Rainforest Alliance is a leading international conservation organization operating in over 50 countries. Their mission is to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that live within them by implementing better business practices for biodiversity, conservation and sustainability.
They collaborate with farmers, workers, business leaders, non-governmental organisations, governments and local communities to develop and implement standards in coffee farming that are socially and environmentally responsible, as well as economically viable.
The companies, cooperatives, and landowners that participate in the Rainforest Alliance's programmes meet rigorous standards for protecting the environment, wildlife, workers, and local communities. On any certified farm this includes: providing a minimum coverage of shade trees, soil conservation and protection from erosion, conservation and protection of natural habitats and water courses, banning hunting, reducing the use of natural resources (particularly water), minimising the use of fertilizers and pesticides and meeting social standards for their workforce.
To achieve the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, a farm must demonstrate that it has met rigorous standards that conserve biodiversity and provide sustainable livelihood. Rainforest Alliance certification stands for a sustainable future for coffee farming, but certification is also valuable because it is an independent guarantee that high social, economic and environmental standards are being met.
Please visit www.rainforest-alliance.org for details of their work.
